General safety interlock



March v1l `1924:.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY D. C` KLAUSMEYER i March 11 1924.

GENERAL SAFETY INTERLocK :s sheets-shet a Filed April 9. 1923 March 11 1924.

` D. C. KLAUSMEYER 'GENERAL SAFETY INTERLOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 9 192 ATTORNEY- Patented Mar. Il, i924.

' iam EN t DAVID C. KLAUSIVIEYER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CINCINNATI BICK- FORD TO0-L COMPANY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO. y

GENERAL SAFETY rN'rnaLooK.

Application filed April 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAvrn C. KLAUS- MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved General Safety Interlock, of which the following speciiication is a full disclosure.

This invention relates to metal-planing machines, and has for its primary objective the provision of a general safety interlock to control the operation of adjusting the sliding cross-head which carries the tools, upon the stanchions which rise from the bed above the moving` Vtable that supports Athe work in position for treatment.

In planing-machines `for heavy service, this overhead structure is of a massive character, and it is customary to provide mechanism tor elevating the heavy cross-head by power devices,'in order to effect its sliding adjustment as rapidly as possible, and such power-operated adjusting-mechanism usually embodies speed-changing and controlling-devices operable manually to cause the power-actuated adjusting-mechanism to act at the desired speed, and to shift it into a neutral position when Vthe adjustment has been eiiected.

Y Means are also utilized customarily to clamp the cross-head in adjusted position upon its slide-ways on the stanchions, and the character ot' the clamping means Vhas been such, in the conventional design of planing-machines, that the operator not infrequently tails to release the clampingmeans before .throwing the power-actuated adjusting-mechanism for the cross-head into action, so Vthat the powerful adjusting action is resisted by the clamping-means, with resultant disaster to either or both of these instrumentalities.

In accordance with the present invention, a general safety interlock is provided by which clamping-devices of a special character are provided, in such numbers, and so situated, as to insure absolute rigidity of the cross-head, and these clamping-devices are so co-ordinated with controlling devices for, the power-actuated adjusting-mechanism that it is impossible for the operator, by inadvertence or design,to sta-rt the adjustment of the cross-head. either manually or by the power mechanism, until he has released each 192e. serial N. esrooe.

of the clamping-devices, Vand conversely, by the novel construction and arrangement of this general safetyinterlock itis rendered impossible to clamp the cross-head to the stanchions while the power-actuated adjustingmec-halnism is in position for action. If by inadvertence the controlling-devices for the power-adjustment should be left in position 'for action when theV power is shut off, the clamping-devices will automatically have been released by 'the general safety interlocking arrangements, thus avoiding disaster, for there will be no clash of power action against clamping action and the movement of the cross-head will give immediate notice to the operator, upon start of the power, that he must operate the clamps, and consequently set the power controlling devices in neutral position, if he does not desire the adjustive action'to continue.

Another objective of this invention is to provide a duplex interlocking-system with controlling-devices of a type devised to give an unmistakable visual warning of the status of the system at any given moment, and situated on the cross-head, adjacent to the working stations of the operator on each side, for convenience of operation, with connections running thence to centralized power-controlling devices overhead, out of the way of the operator, and in convenient position for application and distribution of the power, through the conventional transmission, to the cross-head.

In planing-machines. the working stations are widely separated, by the structure, and the manually-operated cont-rolling devices von one side are inaccessible totlie operator when working at the other' side, so that the provision ot a duplex system ot control, having members at each of these working stations, and (fo-ordinated so that the poweroperat-ed adjusting devices can only be thrown into action when the clamping means on both sides have been thrown out of action, is an improvement of notable im ortance.

till another objective of this invention is to provide means for automatic operation of the general safety interlock when the cross-head reaches either the upper or the lower limit of its traverse,v so that if, by inadvertence of the operator, or some accident which prevents proper attention by him, or by unauthorized or accidental starting of the power-operated adjusting-mechanism in his absence, the cross-head is caused to approach the danger point at either end of its traverse, the controlling-devices will be actuated automatically and will set in neutral position a power-control-element, which in accordance with this invention constitutes the central member of the general safety interlock, thus bringing the crosshead to rest in a safe position.

Other objects and advantages will be in part indicated in the following description and in part rendered apparent therefrom in connection with the annexed drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlying features hereof that they may embody the same in the various ways contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred typical construction have been annexed as a part of this disclosure and, in such draw-- ings, like Characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which z- Fig. 1 is a view in rear elevation of a planing-machine in the construction of which this invention has been embodied. F 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation thereof, with parts broken away. Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4t--1 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but on a smaller scale, so that this figure illustrates completely one of the stanchions with its sociated parts. In the drawines. the parts designated by the reference characters 1 and 2 are the stanchions of a planing-machine, which with the overhead bridge 3 constitute the supporting struc-ture usual in the conventional planing-machines of this type, the stanchions being formed with ways 5 upon which is mounted slidingly .a cross-head 6 which serves as an adjustable support for the tools that are to ope ate upon articles carried upon thework-table B of the plani iig-machine.

For the elevational adjustment of the cross-head 6, suitable means are provided, such as the conventional vertical lead-screws 7, mounted rotatably in suitable bearings in the bridge 3 and extending down through the cross-head, one on each side of the machine. These lead-screws have at their upper ends bevel-gears 8 in mesh with bevelgears 9 upon a shaft 1() which is carried rotatably in bearings 11 upon the bridge This shaft may have a squared end as indicated at 12 to receive a crank by which it may be operated manually, and provision is made for operating it by power at different rates of speed, forward and reverse, through the medium of a clutch-member 13 shiftable on the shaft 10 into engagement with clutchmembers 14 and 15, alternatively, these gears being in mesh with suitable driving-gears 16 and 17 of different sizes fast upon a shaft 18 rotatably mounted in bearings 19 supported by a casing 2O mounted on the bridge 3, the shaft 18 being hereinafter designated the primary shaft, while the shaft 1() is designated as the secondary shaft, for the sake of brevity. A. reversing gear (see Fig. 3) is preferably provided as indicated at 150, carried by a shaft 151, mounted in suitable bearings in the casing 20, these 'bearings not being shown, as they may be, and preferably K are, of conventional structure. The power may be. applied from any suitable source through the medium of a pulley 21 fast on the shaft 18, and suitable means are provided in accordance with this invention to serve as a central power-control-element, which takes the form in the instance illustrated of a fork 22 engaged with the clutchmember 18, from which it extends into position to be operated by a rod 23 mounted in bearings 2a upon the Ibridge 3.

rilhis rod can be caused by any suitable means to move axially toward the right or left, to shift the clutch into low or high gear, forward or reverse, or into the neutral position illustrated in Fig. 1, and as one suitable form of construction for so moving the rod 23, there is shown at each side of the supporting structure a vertical controlling member consisting of rockshafts 25 and 26 rotatable in the bearings 2li and connected by levers 27 and 28 with the rod 28, which serves` as a link to coordinate the movement of the rock-shafts 25 and 26. Pin-and-slot connections 23X, between the levers 27 and 28 and the rod 23, permit the levers to move in an arcuate path while the rod 23 is moved in a straight line through the bearings 2st.

These rock-shafts are shown as having square portions 29 and 30 extending past the eross.-liead 6 and are provided with bearings 31 at their lower ends, these bearings being mounted upon the stanchions, and to permit manual operation of the controlling shafts 25 and 26, they are shown as provided with handles 52 and 33, by which they may be rocked in their bearings. In accordance with an important objective of this invention` provision `is made for a general safety interlock constructed and arranged to co-ordinate the operation of the means above described for elevational ad- `iustment of the cross-head with means for clamping the cross-head .in adjusted position, and to carry this provision into eieet, any suitable means may be utilized, including a suitable form of device for clamping the cross-head 6 upon the ways 5 so as to secure the cross-head to the stanchions 1 and 2.

is the preferred form of clamp for use as a part of this general safety interlock, the .drawings show quadruplexhandles 34, 35, 36 and 31, mounted respectively in pairs, one pair at each side of the cross-head 6, and as these hand-operated clamping devices-may, and preferably will, be of similar structure, a description will suiiice of the hand-lever 34,'. with especial reference to Fig. 4which shows the lever and its associated parts in a-horizontal sectional View.

The lever 34 cooperates with a bolt 37, passing through the cross-head 6, with a nut 33' mountedadjustably on itsouter end, while the inner end 137 of the bolt is-threadedfand enters athreaded socket 134 formed in the head135 of the hand-lever 34.

The bolt 37 also passes through a clamping plate 39 andv when the hand-lever 34 is raised into the position shown in the drawings respectively, its action is to draw the bolt 37 and nut 3S inward', clamping the cross-head 6 and clamping-plate 39 toward each other into engagement with-the slideway 5 upon which the cross-*headv 6 slides, locking the cross-head against sliding movement. A Ifriction-washery 40 may be provided between the head of the handlever and the plate `39` and. it is .desirable to provide means for preventing rotation of the bolt 37, suclrfor example as a pin 41 entering the bolt- 37- andV engaged with the wallsof a recess 42 in theclamping-plate 39.

AThen the cross-head 6 is thus clamped in position byaction of the hand-levers 34, 35, 36 and 37 worlring. as-above described,-

'in eachinstance, it is desirable that' the leadscrews7 and their power-actuated means herebefore described, .should be rendered 1noperative, and anyv suitable structure may Vbe utilized for that purpose.

' As the preferred 'orm of means for preventing such operation, the heads" of. the hand-levers are shown asV providedv with port-ions 43 and 44` which are so arranged as to embracefthe squared portion 29 of` the rock-shaft 25.v or the squared port-ion 30er the rock-shaft 26, as the case may be, in the manner shown inv Fig; 4, so that the rockshafts cannot be turned while so embraced. Likewise, after the levers 34, 35, 36 and 37 have been released, a partial rotation of the shafts 25 and 26, to shift the clutch member 13 into engagement with either ot the clutch` members 14 or 15, positions the squared portions` 29 and 30 angularlyy with respect tothe portions. 43 and 44 ofy the hand-levers and thereby prevent-s turning ot theV hand-levers into locking position untilV the clutch member has again been shifted into its neutral position.

This position of the. rock-shafts. 25 and 26,` in which they are held by the clampingr handles. against rocking movement. can only be attained. when the nower-control-element 221s in its neutral.- position shown in Figs. l

and 2,7with the clutch-member 13 out of engagement with the clutch-gears 14 and 15, the link23 serving to co-ordinate the movementsV of the rock-shafts so that when one isin position to permit clampingaction, the other Will be in similar position.

Vhen the parts are in this position, each ot the levers 34, 35 36 and 37 acts as a visual signal of its interlocking status, and accordingly if the operator throws one of the levers, he not only cannot operate either of the handles 32 or 33 to throw the clutch 13 into gear butthe position ot' theV other handles willindicate to him that he must still throw any one of them which remains inf the elevated position shown in the drawings.

When all of the clamps have been released by downward movement of their respective handles, both of the rock-shafts 25 and 26 will also have been released by withdrawal of the lever. projections 43 and 44, and the operator can then move either the handle 32 or the handle 33 to shift the clutch-member 13 into action to produce low speed or high speed, and upward or downward adjustive movement of thecross-head 6 through the action of the lead-screws 7.

The extent of movement of the handlevers 34, 35, 36 and 37 may be limited by adjustable set screws 46, which engage with abutments 47 in a manner readily understood.

In accordance with another important objective of this invention, means are provided acting when the cross-head 6 approaches the limitsof its adjustive movement, to prevent accidental overrunning thereof, and for this purpose any suitable form ofstructure may be utilized.

As one convenient form, the drawings show screws48, set respectively into brackets 49 upon theclamping-plate 39, projecting in position to be engaged with camshoulders 50 and 51 sit'uatedrespectively at the upper and lower ends of the rock-shaft 25, so' that when the cross-head 6 moves upward, the screw 43will eventually engage the shoulder 50,r and rotate the shaft 25 suiiiciently to move the rod 23 andV powercontrol-element 22 until the clutch-member 13V occupies its` neutral position, when the adjustive movement will cease automatically. A similar effect is produced when the cross-head moves downward and brings its lower screw 48 into engagement with the cam shoulder 51-upon the lower end of rockshaft 25.

It will thus be seen that this invention provides aV general safety interlock which is so co-ordina-tedwith a central control of the power-actuated adjusting mechanism for vthe cross-head, that the operator can operatethe controlling devices. from'v widelyv separated. workingstations upon each side'o-,

the machine, but it is impossible Yfor the operator, by inadvertence or design to start the adjustment of the cross-head, either manually or by the power mechanism, until he has released each of the clamping devices, and conversely, by the novel construction and arrangement of this general safety interlock itis rendered impossible to clamp the cross-head ot the stanchions While the power-actuated adjusting mechanism is in position for action. Accordingly, there will be no clash or' power action against clamping action.

Without further analysis, the 'foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various utilizations by retaining one or more of the essential characteristics of either the generic or specific aspects ot this invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should be, and are intended to be, comprehended Within the meaning and range ot' equivalency ot the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States:

1, In a metal-planing machine, a supporting structure, a cross-head mounted slidingly thereon, adjusting devices to elevate said cross-head, means to actuate said adjusting devices, and clamping-means to secure said cross-head to said supporting structure in adjusted position, combined with a general safety interlock co-ordinating the operation of said adjusting devices and clampingmeans substantially in the manner and for the purpose set torth, said safety interlock embodying a plurality of controlling devices operable manually from a plurality of widely separated stations one on each side of said planing-machine.

2. In a metal-planing machine, a supporting structure, a cross-head mounted slidingly thereon, duplex adjusting devices to elevate said cross-head, a central power-operated means to actuate said adjusting devices, and duplex clamping-means to secure said crosshcad to said supporting structure in adjusted position, combined with a generalsatety interlock cti-ordinating the operation ot said adjusting devices and clamping-means substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a metal-planing machine, a supporting structure, a cross-head mounted slidingly thereon, adjusting` devices to elevate said cross-head, power-operated means to actuate said adjusting-devices, clamping-means to secure said cross-head to said structure in adjusted position, and controlling devices for said power-operated means, combined Wit-h a general safety interlock co-ordinating the operation of said controlling devices and clamping-means substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

4f. In a n'ietal-planing machine, a supporting-structure comprising stanchions, a bridge-member, and a sliding cross-head; a primary-shaft, a secondary shaft and speedchanging mechanism, including a powercontrol-elem'ent, all mounted on said bridgemember; duplex lead-screws geared to said secondary-shaft and said cross-head for elevational adjustment of the latter', duplex rock-shafts connected operatively with each other and With said power-control element, and provided each with a manually-operable device by Which they may be rocked simultaneously to shift said poWer-control-element; and duplex hand-lever-clamps movable With said cross-head and serving to secure the latter to said stanchions at times, said hand-lever-clamps and rock-shafts being so constructed and arranged, relatively to each other, as to constitute a general safety interlock, operating substantially as described.

l'n a metal-planing machine, a supporting-structure comprising stanchions, a bridge-member, and a sliding cross-head; a primary-shaft, a secondary shaft and speedchanging mechanism, including a powercontrol-element, all mounted on said bridgemember; duplex lead-screws geared to said secondary-shaft and said cross-head for elevational adjustment of the latter; duplex rock-shafts connected operatively with each other and with said power-control element, and provided each With a manually-operable device by which they may be rocked simultaneously to shift said poWer-control-element; and quadruplex hand-lever-clamps movable With said cross-head and serving to secure the latter to said stanchions, at times, said hand-lever-clamps and rock-shafts being so constructed and arranged, relatively to each other, as to constitute a general safety interlock, operating substantially as described With said hand-levers acting at all times as visual signals, respectively, of the interlocking status.

G. In a metal-planing machine, a supporting structure, comprising stanchions, a cross-head mounted slidiugly thereon, adjusting devices to elevate said cross-head, power-operated means to actuate said adjusting devices, a-nd devices to secure said cross-head to said stanchions in adjusted position: combined with a general safety interlock co-ordinating the operation of said adjusting devices and clamping-devices, said interlock comprising rock-shafts connected Jfor simultaneous rotation by a link provided with a power-control element, devices to operate said rock-shafts manually, and locking-means on said clamping-devices serving for engagement with said rock-shafts to prevent clamping action except when said power-control element is in neutral position, said locking means serving also to prevent rocking of said shafts to shift said power-control element into position for adjustive action upon said crosshead when the latter is clamped to said stanchions.

7. In a metal-planing machine, a supporting structure, comprising stanchions and a bridge-member, combined with a cross-head mounted slidingly on Ways formed upon said stanchions; duplex adjusting devices, comprising lead-screws connected with, and rotatable to elevate, said cross-head; a power-operated shaft on said bridge, geared to actuate said adjusting screws; quadruplex clamping-means, comprising bolts with hand-levers, mounted on, and operable to secure, said cross-head to said stanchions in adjusted position; and in combination therewith, a general safety interlock co-ordinating the operation of said adjusting devices and clampingmeans, said interlock comprising duplex rock-shafts extending along said stanchions respectively past said cross-head adjacent to said hand-levers, and connected overhead, for co-rotation, by a link having a power-control element, each of said rockshafts having manually operable means by which they may be rocked simultaneously .to shift said power-control element into high-speed, lovv speed and neutral positions, and said lnterlock comprlsing also a structure and relative arrangement of said rock-shafts and clamp-hand-levers such that when set to clamp said cross-head to said stanchions, a portion of each of said hand-levers Will act to prevent rocking of said shafts, and so that each hand-lever must relax its bolt before said power element can be shifted from neutral position, and conversely none of said hand-levers can be operated to set its bolt, for clamping said cross-head, While said power-control element is set for movement of said adjusting devices.

8. In a metal-planing machine, supporting structure, a cross-head mounted slidingly thereon, adjusting devices to elevate said cross-head, power-operated means to actuate said adjusting devices, and clamping-means to secure said cross-head to said supporting structure inl adjusted position, combined with a general safety interlock co-ordinating the operation of said adjusting devices and clamping-means substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth, said general saftey interlock embodying means acting automatically, When said cross-head approaches either limit of its traverse, to render inoperative said power-operated adjusting devices.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing Witnesses.

DAVID C. KLAUSMEYER.

Witnesses:

C. C. SLn'rE, HILDA HERBERS. 

